Foot to Face
by thedancingcrown
Summary: Bruce and Dick have a conversation. "Do you think your mouth might do a better job of conveying your feelings, than your foot?" "Oh, 'feelings', we're sharing those today?" One Shot.


**A/N: **I wrote this on 17 November 2013 in the midst of a fun Young Justice high, and then I uploaded it under the name "Heart to Heart". So, if it sounds familiar, that's why. It turned into a bunch of "one shots(?)" about Robin and an OC I kind of made up on the spot, but originally I had always just intended for it to be a one shot. So, now that I'm a little discouraged with the OC thing, this is re-uploaded as the one shot it was meant to be. :)

Some back story so you don't get too confused: Aqualad is off somewhere - Atlantis probably (because Robin is team leader for the mission). Robin and Bats had a spat and Robin ditched the mission at the last minute, went home, and then got locked up inside, because Batman didn't think he could perform well on the mission with his head all full of fluff. Batman takes over Robin's place on the mission, which was techy computer stuff in the Cave, and coordinating the Team, not actual out in the fieldness.

Also, this takes place somewhere between seasons, but before Nightwing.

Enjoy? ^^'

Please review! :)

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Bruce Wayne handed the cab driver his fair through the window between their seats, and a little tip just because, before he got out of the taxi with a sigh. It wasn't often he needed one. He could hardly remember the last time. But he had needed Alfred at home rather than driving the limo. In case Dick did something stupid. Surprisingly, that didn't happen often either. But, ever since he'd met that girl…

Trusting the front door to be open, Bruce didn't bother knocking, but reached for the handle instead. He'd half expected Alfred to open the door before he could do it himself, or short of that the loyal butler was probably waiting just on the other side. But it wasn't Alfred that met him when he entered the house – it was Dick's foot. Reflexively, Bruce recoiled backward, and the kid came swinging past his face, sliding across the top of an end table beside the door, sending vases scattering, before he fell off the other end and onto his face with a yelp.

Bruce raised an eyebrow, and shut the door behind him.

"Evening, Alfred," he nodded at the older man, who'd appeared out of seemingly nowhere.

"Master Bruce."

Bruce made his way around the table to where Dick lay, groaning, on the floor. "Tell me, has a simple 'hello, welcome home' gone out of fashion for kids these days?"

"I'm not a kid anymore," Dick grumbled, pushing himself up to sit on his knees. He rubbed at his face.

"Are you sure? Because you're acting like one."

The boy scowled at him.

"Some tea, Master Bruce?" Alfred inquired into the momentary silence.

"In a minute, Alfred. Thanks."

"Very good, sir…"

Dick had gotten to his feet, and was still scowling.

"Do you think your mouth might do a better job of conveying your feelings, than your foot?"

"Oh, '_feelings_', we're sharing those today?" the boy clenched his fists. "I saw the news – you put my team in danger today!"

"They were _my_ team today."

"And then you had Alfred lock me inside so I couldn't go out there and help them!"

"I'm not sure if I should be disappointed that you didn't get out, after all…" Bruce said thoughtfully. Dick opened his mouth to snap something else at him, but he cut him off, "Also, they're not _your_ team – they're Aqualad's."

"They're my _friends_! All of them, and I care about them! They needed my help—"

"Not really. I had everything under control. They were fine."

"That's not what it looked like half the time! I was worried about them – you had no right to keep me from them!" Dick glared at him, but Bruce's expression hardly changed. Finally, the kid threw his hands in the air, "Argh! Why do I even bother with you? It's not like _you_ have any friends – only teammates! You don't care about anyone but yours—" he trailed off, Bruce's hand catching him firmly by the shoulder as he tried to storm past.

"I care about you, Dick. You're family."

The boy swallowed hard, glanced up at Bruce for a second, and then scowled some more at the floor.

"And I care about your team the same way I care about mine. But, this isn't really about any of that, is it? It's because I won't let you date that girl."

"'That girl' has a name!" Dick cut in, looking up at Bruce. Spots of colour had appeared on the boy's cheeks. He didn't seem to notice.

"Or maybe," Bruce ignored him, "It's because you went ahead and dated her behind my back anyway, and then I found out."

"It was _one kiss_!" Dick snapped, pushing at Bruce's arm to get the man's hand off his shoulder. He could feel the heat rise up his neck, all the way to the tips of his ears. Bruce let him go, and Dick crossed his arms tightly across his chest, feeling stupid. "It-was-just-one-kiss," he mumbled, hiding his face by looking at his socks. "I-wasn't-dating-her-behind-your-back."

"A lot of lipstick for 'one kiss'…"

Dick flinched as though he'd been struck – had Bruce really just said that, or was the Boy Wonder hearing things? He looked up sideways at the older man, whose gaze was off somewhere else, as he stood suddenly in thought. But, was that a…was he trying to hide a smile?

"Come here," Bruce said, and led the way toward their sitting area. Reluctant, but curious, and annoyed all at the same time, Dick sulked along in the man's wake. Bruce left Dick standing, and sat down on the arm of a sofa, hands in his lap. "Tell me what happened."

"What for?" Dick snapped at once, though he wasn't sure he'd actually meant to. "So you can just make fun of me some more? No thanks!"

"Dick," Bruce stopped him as he was about to march off, putting a hand on his shoulder in such an almost sincere gesture, Dick had to stop moving altogether for a second. "Tell me what happened."

Dick stared at his…mentor? Friend? …Father? Every once in a while Bruce had such a _moment_, and Dick couldn't think of him as anything less than a…

He swallowed, sighed, and let his arms drop at his sides, feeling all the resistance drain out of him. Bruce let him go, and sat patiently waiting for him to start. Keeping his eyes on the floor, Dick spoke quietly, "We were in the kitchen…grating carrots for M'gann's stupid salad…" like everything was the salad's fault, Bruce thought. "Everyone else was…off," he shrugged. "She'd just broken up with me – with _Dick Grayson_," he gestured the air, like Dick Grayson was standing next to him, "without a real explanation, and here was the perfect opportunity to fish out why," he shrugged, looking almost innocent. "Because she and Robin are friends, you know," he gestured himself as he spoke, "She'd tell him stuff." Bruce kept his face straight, nodded along with understanding. "So I brought it up…and then I asked… And at first she didn't want to say, but I…kind of nagged at her, I guess…" he rubbed the back of his neck, eyes on the floor. "And _then_…" he stretched the word, trailed off, feeling the heat rise beneath his skin again. This was embarrassing.

"She kissed you," Bruce offered, and Dick looked up at him – the man was _trying not to smile._

"It wasn't funny!" Dick snapped.

Bruce chuckled, raising his hands in defence, "I'm not laughing!" he said, even as he did. "Alright, alright," he cleared his throat, said seriously, his face almost mockingly straight again, "Go on."

Dick groaned, and let his gaze drop to the floor again – it was a much better view than Bruce's face. "So…we just stood there for a while…" _Kissing_, he added in his head. "And then, I guess she kind of realized what she was doing, and then…she flew off," he waved one hand through the air, looked up at nothing in particular. "So I went after her, and that's when we ran into you," he finished off anticlimactically, waving his hand through the air again as he took to pacing a few steps away, still in thought.

"Man!" he exclaimed then, turning back around. He ran his hands over his face, dejected. "I even yelled at Wally for no reason," Bruce raised an eyebrow, and Dick waved a hand. "Later in the bathroom, when I was washing off her…" he stopped short with the gesture to his mouth, at the sight of Bruce's expression. He dropped his hand, glared at the older man. Bruce grinned shamelessly at him.

Dick crossed his arms and turned his back on Bruce with a sigh. Why'd he ever open his big mouth in the first place? He was never hearing the end of any of this.

"I don't think Wally will be particularly perturbed by it…" Bruce said quietly, but with clear amusement in his tone – which Dick elected to ignore.

"Yeah, he'll be turbed," Dick said. "But I feel jerky about it…" he sighed again.

A moment later, Bruce's hand came to rest on Dick's shoulder a third time. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "That she likes Robin so much. And that she dumped Dick Grayson for him…" he added in a loud whisper. "But you understand why I don't want you dating a member of your team." It wasn't even a question. It didn't need to be though – Robin knew exactly why.

He sighed, and said as much. "Yeah. Secret identities, divided loyalties, potential betrayals – I get it. Plus, you don't trust her. I can't tell anyone who I really am, either, for all the same reasons."

"And a few extras," Bruce added. "…I am sorry."

Dick nodded, but said nothing, and in the silence that followed, Alfred appeared.

"Your tea, Master Bruce."

"Thank you, Alfred," Bruce said, with a smile – Alfred always knew when to appear. "But I think we'll take it downstairs. Dick needs to let off some steam in the training room," he squeezed the boy's shoulder gently, saw Dick smile at him from the corner of his eye.

"Very good, sir," Alfred was smiling beneath that moustache, too, Bruce would bet.

"Hey," Dick said. "I'm sorry I tried to plant my foot in your face."

"That's okay," Bruce replied easily. "It was about the most exciting thing to happen to Bruce Wayne today."

Dick laughed, "You poor old man."

"I'm not old yet, kid," Bruce retorted. "Your foot missed, remember?"

Dick only rolled his eyes.

"You know your team was never in any real danger today. I planned on how to get each of them out of their own dangerous situation before I sent them in."

"Yeah," Dick nodded, half embarrassed. Not at _not_ having trusted the Bat, because he had, of course – but more at having snapped at Bruce for no reason. "I know."

"What's for dinner, Alfred?" Bruce asked, starting off toward the hallway. Dick and Alfred, who was carrying their tray of tea, followed behind.

"Oh, all of your favourites, sir."

"More exciting news."

"Master Bruce needs a girlfriend, don't you think, Alfred?"

"I've been telling him that for years, Master Dick. Perhaps together we'll have better luck with convincing him."

"Don't start giving the kid ideas, Alfred," Bruce replied, catching Dick behind his neck with one large hand and scowling at him. Dick only grinned.

"So what did you tell the team – about my sudden absence?" Dick asked, as they passed through the opening to the Bat Cave, hidden behind a very old, but dustless grandfather clock, and descended the stairs beyond.

"I told them you came down with something," Bruce replied.

"Oh, yeah, what?"

"A wave of idiocy."

"You did _not_ say that."

"No?"

"You didn't!"

"Ask them."

"I don't believe you."

Bruce only laughed. "Ask them tomorrow."

Behind them, Alfred smiled.

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**A/N:** Thanks for reading & reviewing! I love to hear your thoughts and appreciate it _a lot_. :)


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